Mail-bag catching and delivering mechanism.



N0.- 894,639.- m PATENTED JRULY 28, 1908.

E. HENNER & L. VEILLBUX. MAIL BAG GATOHING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1908.

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MAIL BAG GATGHING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

zZZeaac PATENTED JULY 28, 1908.

No 894,639. PATENTED-JULY-ZB, 1908.

E. HENNER & L. VEILLEUX.

MAI-L BAG GATGHING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

. APPLICATION FILED MAR. so, 1908.

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EUGENE HENNER AND LOUIS VEILLEUX, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

MAIL-BAG GATGHING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented July 28, 1908.

Application filed March 30, 1908. Serial No. 424,192.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EUGENE HENNER and LOUIS VEI LEUx, citizens of theUnited States, residing at New -Bedford, in the county of Middlesex andState of Massachu- 'setts, have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in Mail-Bag Catching and De ivering Mechanism; and we dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apertains to make and use the same.

his invention relates to mail bag catching and delivering mechanism,cooperating parts of which are mounted respectively on a station frameand on amail car.u

The object of the invention is to provide a strong and durable trackcrane and to improve the manner of pivotally associating thebag'sustaining members therewith and provide means for reversing thecatching and delivering mechanism, to receive and deliver mail fromtrains moving in opposite directions.

Another object is to render the arts strong for withstanding the severeshoe s to which they are subjected and to improve the construction ofthe bag engaging forks on both the car and the station cranes.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangements of parts aswill be more fully described and particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of astation crane and aportion of a car showing this improved apparatusapplied; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof showing the relation of theparts carried by a car with those carried by the station crane; Fig. 3is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4represents a rear elevation of the upper portion of the station crane;Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken through the upper end of the stationcrane.

In the embodiment herein illustrated this improved track crane comprisesa suitable base frame having a suitably braced vertical standard1mounted thereon. Mounted near the upper end of this standard 1 is a bagdeliverlng member 2 fixed on a rotatable shaft 3 which extendstransversely through the standard 1 and is provided at the other sidethereof with an arm 4 for a purpose to be described. This deliveringmember 2 is preferably constructed in the form shown of an arm 5 havingan off-set 6 and forked or bifurcated at its free end. The members ofthis bifurcated free end arepreferably made in the form of clampingsprings 7 and 8 having ribs or projections 9 formed on their inneradjacent faces to provide for the secure holding of the bag carryingcord hereinafter described. These springs have their ends outwardlyflared in opposite directions to permit the ready insertion of the bagcord or supporting member.

A catching member 10 is fixed to one end of a shaft 11 which extendstransversely through the standard 1 at a point below and in alinementwith the shaft 3 of the delivering member and this shaft is provided atits v other end with an off-set arm 12 for a p'urpose to be described.This catcher member 10 is preferably made in the form of two springs 13and 14 secured at their inner end to an arm 15 which is fixed to theshaft 11.,

These spring members 13 and 14 have their inner faces normally incontact throughout the greater portion of their length and their outerends are flared outwardly in opposite directions to adapt them to passon opposite sides of the bag carrying cord as hereinafter described.

A cleat' 16 extends transversely of the standard 1 between thedelivering member 2' and the catcher 10 and is designed as a stop forlimiting the movement of these members in upward and downward directionsrespectively and to hold them in operative position in either of theirreversed positions. A link 17 is pivoted at its opposite ends to thearms 4 and 12 carried by the outer ends of the shafts 3 and-11 to adaptsaid arms.to be moved in unison when it is desired to reverse theposition of the catcher and delivering devices. The arm 12 extendsbeyond the arm 4 and is provided with a handle 18 for use in reversingthe catcher and the delivering members.

Washers as 19 are preferably arranged between the inner faces of thearms 4 and 12 and the standard 1 to prevent wear of the standard. Thisstandard 1 has sockets as 20 and 21 arranged in alinement on a lineextending between the shafts 3 and 11 which are adapted to receive a pin22 which when 31 and those in her 31 is adapted to rections in the headarms 4 and 12 locks the delivering member and catching member againstaccidental turning.

A car carried crane 23 is structed in the form shown standard 24 hingedto swing laterally at one side of the car door opening. An arm 25extends laterally from the standard 24 and a brace 26 is arrangeddiagonally between said arm 25 and the lower end of the standard 24whereby said arm is strengthened and adapted to withstand the strain towhich it is subjected. Mounted on the free end of an arm 25 is the head27 preferably secured to said arm by means of L shaped plates 28 and 29.This arm 25 is extensibly connected with the arm 25 to provide for theuse of the device in doors of varying widths. This head 27 extends onopposite sides of the arm 25 and is provided at its upper end with adeep groove or socket 30 which extends the entire length thereof, and inwhich is pivoted at a point about thecenter thereof a bag receiving orcatching member 31. This member 31 is preferably made of two platesprings 32 and 33 having an offset 34 formed intermedially of their endsand are arranged to lie in close contact throughoutthe greater portionof their length to form clamping members for securely holding the mailbag between them. The outer ends of these springs 32 and 33 are flaredoutwardly in opposite directions similar to the catching member of thestation crane. This bag receiving membe swung in opposite di- 27 and islimited in its downward movement by means of the lower wall of thesocket 30. Apertures 35 and 36 extend transversely through the socketwalls at opposite ends thereof and are adapted to register with anaperture 37 formed in the member 31 when it is swung into either of itstwo positions. A locking member 38 preferably in the form of a cotterpin is adapted to pass through the aperture in said member the socketwalls to lock the arm in its adjusted position to prevent accidentalturning thereof. This cotter pin 38 is preferably attached to the arm 25by means of a flexible element 39.

A bag delivering member 40 is pivoted at one end in a socket 41 whichextends longitudinally across the head 27 at its lower end, the upperend or wall of this slot being depreferably con-. and comprises a signedto limit the upward movement of the member 40 in either of its twopositions. This delivering member 40 is preferably made in the form ofan arm 42 having vertically spaced clamping members 42 and 43 secured toits free end and having an offset as 44 formed therein. These members 42and 43 are each preferably formed of two spring metal plates arrangedwith their faces in contact throughout the greater portion of theirlength and having their outer ends flared outwardly in oppositedirections to permit the ready insertion of a bag supporting cord.

The head 27 is provided at its lower edge at opposite ends thereof withapertures 45 and 46 which are adapted to register with an aperture (notshown) in the arm of the bag delivering member 40 and through which alocking device, preferably made in the form of a cotter pin 48, isdesigned to pass. This cotter pin 48 is secured to the arm 25 by a 7.;flexible element 49 in a manner similar to the member 38. A rod 50 ispivotally connected at one end to the arm 25 and is provided at itsother end with an eye 51 adapted to extend between two vertically spacedeyes 52 and 53 fixed to the car door at the side opposite that withwhich the standard 24- is connected.

A locking pin 54 is connected with the car door frame and is designed tobe passed 35 through the eyes 51, 52 and 53 for locking the rod 50 inoperative position for holding the arm 25 in out-swung operativeposition.

A hook member 55 is pivotall connected to the car door frame at the sameside as the standard 24 and on the outer face thereof and is adapted tohook over the arm 25 and form an auxiliary fastening device for hold ingit in out-swung position. A stud 56 limits the backward swinging of thishook shaped member 55.

Bag carrying members 57 are each preferably made in the form of a wirecable having a knot at one end to prevent the accidental disengagementthereof from the catching and delivering members. The other ends ofthese cables as 57 are provided with snap hooks as 58 which are designedto be engaged. with a loop or other suitable device of a mail bag as 59.The catcher and delivering members of the car crane are supported inposition for cooperation with the similar members carried by the stationcrane as is clearly shown in Fig. 2, the catcher member of the stationcrane being arranged to pass between spaced clamping members of thedelivering member of the car crane and the catcher member of the carcrane to pass between the spaced clamping members of the stationdelivering memher to provide for the simultaneous catching anddelivering of a mail bag by the ear-earried crane when the car passesthe station. This catcher and delivering member are adapted to be swunginto reversed position to adapt the device for use when the train ispassing in the opposite direction.

e claim as our invention 1. In a mail bag catching and deliveryapparatus, the combination of a supporting structure, catching anddelivering members mounted thereon and adapted to extend normally inopposite directions, and each comprising spring metal plates fastenedtogether and arranged with their inner faces in contact throughout aportion of their comes 2. In a mailbag catching and deliveringmechanism, the combination with a station crane having a catching memberand a delivering member disposed in difierent vertical planes, of a carcrane having a catchin member and a delivering member dispose indifferent vertical planes, the catching member of the station cranebeing constructed to project into the path of the delivering member ofthe car crane, and the delivering member of the station crane into thepath of the catching member of the car crane, and means for reversingthe respective'members of the car and station cranes to provide fortheir usewhen the train is moving in an o posite direction.

3. A crane or receiving and delivering mail bags comprising a standard,rotatable verticall spaced shafts mounted in said standar a catching anda delivering member fixed to the inner ends of said shafts on one sideof said standard, arms fixed to the outer ends of said shaftson theother side of said standard, a link pivotally connected with said armsand means for operating said arms to simultaneously turn said shafts toreverse the position of the members carried thereby.

4. A crane for receiving and delivering mail bags comprising a standard,rotatable vertically spaced shafts mounted in said standard, a catching.and a delivering mem' ber fixed to the inner ends of said shafts on oneside of said standard, arms fixed to the outer ends of said shafts onthe other side of said standard, a link pivotally connected with saidarms, means for operating said arms to simultaneously turn said shaftsto reverse the position of the members carried thereby and a stoparranged between saidcatching and delivering members to limit the extentof their movement.

5. A crane for receiving and delivering mail bags, comprising astandard, rotatable vertically spaced shafts mounted in said standard, acatching anda delivering member fixed to the inner ends of said shaftson one side of said standard, arms fixed to the outer ends of saidshafts on the other side of said standard, a link pivotally connectedwith said arms, means for operating said arms to simultaneously turnsaid shafts to reverse the position .of the members carried thereby andmeans for locking said arms in adjusted position.

6. A crane for receiving and delivering mail bags comprising a standard,rotatable vertically spaced shafts mounted in said standard, a catchingand a delivering member fixed to the inner ends of said shafts on oneside of said standard, arms fixed to the outer ends of said shafts onthe other side of said standard, a link pivotally connected with saidarms, means for operating said arms to simultaneously turn said shaftsto reverse the position of the member carried thereby, sockets arrangedin said standard on opposite sides of its vertical axis on a line drawnbetween said shafts and a pin for insertion in said sockets.

7. A crane for receiving and delivering mail bags comprising a standard,rotatable vertically spaced shafts mounted in said standard, a bagdelivering member carried by one end of one of said shafts andcomprising an arm having an ofi-set thereln, spring metal plates fixedto the free end of said arm and arranged with their inner faces incontact throughout a portion of their length, and having their free endsflared out wardly in op osite directions and a catching member carri dby the same end of the other shaft.

8. A mail bag receiving and delivery apparatus comprising a supportingstructure, a deliverymember mounted thereon and extending laterally inone direction, and a catching member extending in the opposite directionand composed of a plurallty of vertically spaced clamping members.

9. A crane for receiving and delivering mail bags comprising asupporting structure, rotatable vertically spaced shafts mounted in saidsupporting structure, a bag delivering member carried by one end of oneof said shafts, and a catching member carried by the corresponding endof the other shaft and comprising an arm fixed at one end to said shaftand two vertically spaced clamping members attached to the free end ofsaid arm.

10. A crane for receiving and delivering mail bags comprising asupporting member, rotatable vertically spaced shafts mounted in saidsupporting member, a bag delivering member carried by. one end of one ofsaid shafts, and a catching member carried by the corresponding end ofthe other shaft and comprising an arm fixed at one end to said shaft,and two vertically spaced clamping members attached to the free end ofsaid arm, each composed of spring metal plates secured at one end to thefree end of said arm and having their inner faces in contact throughoutaportion of their length and with their free endsflared in oppositedirections.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of twosubscrlbing Witnesses.

EUGENE HENNER. LOUIS VEILLEUX.

Witnesses HENRY RIoHER, Non HENNER.

